Tea Time with Jo | Menstrual Underwear Care Guide

I’m a huge fan of period underwear but caring for these garments has been a process of trial and error. In this blog I’m going to share with you the methods that I have found that keep my period underwear looking, feeling and smelling like new. If your menstrual underwear has become all stiff, stinky and/or crunchy, no worries, I have tips for how to restore them back to their soft and fresh state below. I’m also throwing in what I have found to be the best practices to avoid irritation, pH imbalances or otherwise unpleasant aftermath of using period panties. Let’s dive in…

Pre-Wash Methods

Despite what some manufacturers of period underwear claim, just tossing used panties into a hamper and washing them like normal underwear in the washing machine is possibly the worst recommendation for keeping period panties in good shape. I have found two options that seem to work much better. 

Option 1-Rinse out as much of the menstrual blood as possible, until the water runs clear, and then hang the undies to air dry (I use the inside of the shower). Then wash all of the undies together in the machine once menses has concluded (wash cycle tips coming below). 

Option 2-Soak the used undies in a bowl of cool water until I am able to rinse them out. This method comes in handy when it’s the end of the day and I just want to put on a fresh pair and go to sleep. I have a specific bowl that I use for this purpose and it is  large enough to hold the panty with just enough water to submerge it. If I let it soak overnight, the water in the bowl displaces some of the blood from the undies making them much easier to rinse out in the morning. If I sill don’t have time the following day to deal with them, I just empty out the water (which at this point is pretty bloody) and replace with fresh water. Keeping the undies soaked keeps the blood from setting into the material. 

Washing Machine Tips

At the end of my bleed, I’ll have gathered a collection of period underwear that has been hanging to dry on the inside of my shower (my curtain hooks have hooks on the inside that I use to hang wet items from). Side note: when you hang your undies to dry, don’t hang them from the waistband. This seam is thinner and will get pulled on by the weight of the wet undies. Instead, find a thicker seam, usually the inside of the leg opening, and hang from there.  

When I’m ready to wash them in the machine, I can simply wash them like I would any other wash if I have followed one of the two methods above. Doing so means that the panties themselves no longer have any significant amount of blood left in them so they will wash clean fairly easily in the machine

If your undies have become stiff, crunchy or smelly overtime, likely not all of the blood was being washed out of the undies and they then dried with this residue. This can be remedied. In this case, I suggest washing the period underwear by themselves. Set your washing machine on warm water (not hot), set it to soak for at least 30 minutes, and set it to do a second rinse. If you don’t have the option for soaking or adding a second rinse, just run the wash cycle twice. Use your usual detergent but also add 1/4 cup of baking soda or borax to the drum. For the rinse, use white vinegar, instead of fabric softener, in the same amount you normally use. The combination of the baking soda/borax and vinegar work beautifully to remove old residue and odor. The warm water is essential to help the baking soda/borax dissolve and work more efficiently. 

Once your undies are fresh and clean you can dry them according to the instructions from the manufacturer. I do like to tumble dry mine on low. This aids in keeping them soft. 

Hygiene Tips 

Despite what the manufacturers to some of these undies say, I don’t recommend wearing them for more than 6-8 hours at a time (unless it is overnight). Just like with menstrual pads, the constant exposure to the moisture can be irritating to the vulva. Those with sensitive tissues might even develop some pH imbalances. Since it isn’t practical to change underwear during the day, I suggest you use your period undies as if they were regular undies, and use menstrual pads over them, especially on heavy flow days. This will allow you to have the period undies as a back up in case of leaks, but also, after saturating a pad, you can just take it off and you’ll have a fresh, dry period panty underneath that can now absorb your bleeding. This is especially useful if you know you have a long day ahead of you and you don’t want to bring a spare pair of undies with you. 

Some of you might be thinking, “but if I use pads over the undies, doesn’t that defeat their purpose”? And the answer to me is, no. If I can make the use of period undies more practical and seamless in my everyday life, I’ll be more inclined to use them. From a sustainability standpoint, I suggest using reusable pads instead of disposable. These are my favorite and they can be rinsed and washed according to the same instructions above. If for whatever reason, they get stained, I just soak them in the bowl with a teaspoon or so of an oxygen boosting cleaner. In a pinch, I can add hydrogen peroxide to the water or borax. 

That’s pretty much it! I hope this guide is helpful in your sustainable menses era. In case you are wondering these are my favorite pair of non-toxic menstrual underwear and they can certainly be used for postpartum bleeding and urinary leakage as well.